I don’t read music. I don’t write or read music.

I don’t read music. I don’t write it. So I wander around on the guitar until something starts to present itself.

What I’ve always done as an entertainer is try to come up with things that people will find interesting, or compelling, or humorous.

People have used my songs and guitar style to teach guitar for a long time.

A concert is always like a feast day to me.

I enjoy selling my music. I don’t enjoy selling myself.

I can take criticisms but not compliments.

I tend to write out the first iteration of a lyric here and then go over here and make variations on it, on the page opposite.

I’m trying to look at my blessings and how amazingly well against all odds things have turned out for me.

It is the most delightful thing that ever happens to me, when I hear something coming out of my guitar and out of my mouth that wasn’t there before.

The Beatles were a phenomenon, but they were also ordinary blokes like anyone else. I was lucky enough to see that side.

I am myself for a living. I don’t animate a character.

The best thing is when you hear somebody take your song and make something great of it.

People should watch out for three things: avoid a major addiction, don’t get so deeply into debt that it controls your life, and don’t start a family before you’re ready to settle down.

If I were to try to identify a turning point I’d say that was it – getting clean.

I think that we’re all totally isolated beings and always will be.

I’m looking forward to being able to retire from being a public figure and being able to afford to be myself!

Somehow it helps just to take something that’s internal and externalize it, to see it in front of you.

I know there are people who don’t like their audience or like the experience of being recognized or celebrated, but my audience has been very good – they don’t bother me and when they do...

I don’t play the kind of music that works in a football stadium.

I’m very unstable; there’s no stability in a musician’s life at all. You live on a bus or on the road hand to mouth and you don’t know where your money’s coming from.

We all have to face pain, and pain makes us grow.

I played the cello from when I was ten, and then I bought a guitar from the father of some friends of mine and played that for a while. And then when I was fourteen...

I was a functional addict.

I believe musicians have a duty, a responsibility to reach out, to share your love or pain with others.

Songwriting is too mysterious and uncontrolled a process for me to direct it towards any one thing.

When I cleaned up some 17 odd years ago, I felt terrible for about six months. The only thing that gave me any real relief was strenuous physical activity.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Grammys because I don’t see the music world as a competitive sport.

I have a studio in a barn at home – we rehearse there, we film there and we record there. It’s fun to hang out with my guys and see what comes out next.